Model Based Engineering Machining

A manufacturing system comprising:

• a computer system;
• a digital thread in the computer system, wherein the digital thread stores information for manufacturing a workpiece, wherein the information in the digital thread is in a standardized format;
• and
• a workflow manager in the computer system, wherein the workflow manager is configured to perform operations for a workflow to manufacture the workpiece in which the operations comprise:
• creating a job to manufacture the workpiece using a numeric control machine, wherein the job identifies tasks in the workflow to manufacture the workpiece;
• creating a standardized computer-aided design model in the standardized format from a computer-aided design model for the workpiece, wherein the standardized computer-aided design model is stored in the digital thread;
• performing a number of simulations in the workflow using information in the digital thread used as inputs to a number of simulators to obtain simulation results, wherein the information is in a simulator format used by each of the number of simulators and wherein the simulation results are stored in the standardized format in the digital thread;
• creating a numeric control program in a numeric control machine format utilized by the numeric control machine using product manufacturing information and geometry for the workpiece in the standardized computer-aided design model in the digital thread;
• and
• manufacturing the workpiece using the numeric control program and the numeric control machine.

A method for manufacturing a part, the method comprising:

• creating a job as part of a workflow to manufacture the part using a numeric control machine;
• creating a standardized computer-aided design model in a standardized format from a computer-aided design model for the part, wherein the standardized computer-aided design model includes product manufacturing information and geometry for the part;
• storing the standardized computer-aided design model in a digital thread;
• creating a mesh model in a finite element analysis format utilized by a finite element analysis program using the standardized computer-aided design model;
• running a finite element analysis simulation for the part using the mesh model and finite element analysis program to obtain finite element analysis simulation results;
• storing the finite element analysis simulation results from the finite element analysis simulation in the standardized format in the digital thread;
• creating a numeric control program in a numeric control machine format utilized by the numeric control machine using the standardized computer-aided design model;
• performing a manufacturing simulation of the part using the numeric control program for the numeric control machine to generate manufacturing simulation results in the standardized format;
• storing the manufacturing simulation results in the standardized format in the digital thread;
• and
• manufacturing the part using the numeric control program and the numeric control machine.

A method for manufacturing a workpiece, the method comprising:

• creating a job as part of a workflow to manufacture the workpiece using a numeric control machine, wherein the job identifies tasks in the workflow to manufacture the workpiece;
• creating a standardized computer-aided design model in a standardized format from a computer-aided design model for the workpiece, wherein the standardized computer-aided design model is stored in a digital thread;
• performing a number of simulations in the workflow using information in the digital thread used as inputs to a number of simulators to obtain simulation results, wherein the information is in a simulator format used by each of the number of simulators and wherein the simulation results are stored in the standardized format in the digital thread;
• creating a numeric control program in a numeric control machine format utilized by the numeric control machine using product manufacturing information and geometry for the workpiece in the standardized computer-aided design model in the digital thread;
• and
• manufacturing the workpiece using the numeric control program and the numeric control machine.

A computer program product for manufacturing a workpiece, the computer program product comprising:

• a set of one or more computer-readable storage media;
• program instructions stored on the set of one or more storage media to perform operations comprising:
• creating a job as part of a workflow to manufacture the workpiece using a numeric control machine, wherein the job identifies tasks in the workflow to manufacture the workpiece;
• creating a standardized computer-aided design model in a standardized format from a computer-aided design model for the workpiece, wherein the standardized computer-aided design model is stored in a digital thread;
• performing a number of simulations in the workflow using information in the digital thread used as inputs to a number of simulators to obtain simulation results, wherein the information is in a simulator format used by each of the number of simulators and wherein the simulation results are stored in the standardized format in the digital thread;
• creating a numeric control program in a numeric control machine format utilized by the numeric control machine using product manufacturing information and geometry for the workpiece in the standardized computer-aided design model in the digital thread;
• and
• manufacturing the workpiece using the numeric control program and the numeric control machine.